Osram Time: 09:00, February 24, 2295

  The Sepulcher of Ysolde, Zeeman Crater, Far Side, Osram

  "Stay close, everyone," Jabari's boots squelched against the visceral floor as he led them through the Sepulcher of Ysolde. It was more like a cathedral made of living flesh, covered in sickly brown creeps over Imperium steel. They needed to reach the chamber holding Ysolde before she was found and revived by the opposition.

  "Such fascinating organism!" Ume exclaimed with wide almond-shaped eyes. She reached out to touch a pulsating wall with her gloved hand. "These creatures' methods of infesting human structures are highly effective — perhaps we could take a sample back to study it?"

  "I wouldn't be so excited about it, Ume," Jabari chuckled awkwardly.

  Eight Ologuns flanked them, their dark green fusion-powered armor providing a comforting sight amidst the unsettling environment. The soldiers' disciplined movements contrasted sharply with the chaotic, writhing surfaces surrounding them.

  Prince Laurent led the way, his regal demeanor undisturbed by the macabre surroundings. A hilt of Psytum Sword hung from his belt, ready for use if needed. The Moondust Crystal shard, securely tucked into a pouch at his waist, emitted a faint blue glow even through the fabric.

  "Not a single corpse down here," Laurent commented, his voice resonating through the damp corridor. "But this structure is infested through and through. The Fenris Horde is thorough."

  The walls writhed, as if provoked by his words. What passed for sconces in this place were fleshy growths, emitting a pale, sickly luminescence that skittered across the Chinese draconic motifs and Egyptian Papyrus columns that adorned the synthetic surfaces between the organic matter, merging the aesthetics of two worlds into one unhallowed temple.

  "Feels like we're inside the belly of something ready to eat us," muttered Jabari, eyeing the abominations that retreated shyly from their torchlights.

  "This site was meant to be a symbol of peace and collaboration between our people and the Imperials." Laurent glanced back, his grin sharp. "Perhaps some things were never meant to last."

  "Whatever comes our way, we fight." Jabari kept his hand near his Plasma Rifle, its weight a comforting reassurance. His Vibro-Spear, folded and secured on his back, hummed with latent potential.

  "Ume." Laurent looked ahead, his tone even. "Review the Moondust Activation Chant for me. I understand it's in your data."

  "At once." The android straightened her posture as she began reciting, her delicate lips wrapping around the Devavā?ī syllables. "*Chandra ki, Dhool, Mann ka Saagar —*"

  "Ah, not the the Final Activation." Laurent raised a hand, correcting her gently. "The middle section, please. The one about Shard Calling."

  "Of course," Ume continued as they walked. "The middle section is, *Akhandit chetna, kalateet rahasya*."

  "That's the one. Thank you, Ume." Laurent nodded in satisfaction, a smile on his rich brown countenance.

  "It means 'Unbroken consciousness, timeless mystery' in Devavā?ī, the psionic language favored by Djinnos and Imperials." Ume turned to Jabari as she explained.

  "It sounds quite elegant." Jabari tilted his head shyly as he commented.

  The corridor abruptly narrowed, forcing them into a single-file formation. The walls here seemed more agitated, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air grew thick with a coppery scent that reminded him unpleasantly of blood.

  A harsh chittering echoed from ahead—multiple sources, moving rapidly toward them.

  "Skuggrs," Laurent whispered, reaching for the pouch at his waist. "At least six of them. Weapons ready, but hold fire."

  The first Skuggr rounded the corner, its insectoid form skittering along the wall with unnatural speed. Behind it came five more, their chitinous exoskeletons gleaming in the pale light. Acid dripped from their mandibles, sizzling against the floor.

  "Sir?" one of the Ologuns questioned, his Plasma Rifle raised.

  "Hold," Laurent commanded, withdrawing the Moondust shard from its pouch. The crystal fragment glowed brighter now, casting everything in an eerie blue light. "Conventional weapons attract more. Time to test our artifact."

  "As you say." The Ologun lowered his weapon hesitantly.

  Laurent held the shard aloft, its facets catching the light. His lips moved, the words audible and felt in the air around them. "Akhandit chetna, kalateet rahasya!"

  The effect was immediate and disturbing. The Skuggrs froze mid-movement, their bodies convulsing. The creatures emitted high-pitched keens of distress, mandibles clacking frantically. Their coordinated movement dissolved into chaos—two began attacking each other with savage fury, while others spun in disoriented circles or fled back the way they had come.

  "What's happening to them?" Jabari asked, watching the spectacle with equal parts fascination and horror.

  Laurent's voice was strained when he answered. "Breaking... their connection to the Hivemind. They... don't know what to do without its guidance."

  The display was as impressive as it was unsettling. The Skuggrs that remained tore into each other with abandon, green ichor spraying across the walls. In moments, only one remained, and it retreated with uncharacteristic fear, disappearing into the darkness.

  Laurent staggered suddenly, the shard dropping from his fingers. Jabari lunged forward, catching both the Prince and the crystal before either hit the ground.

  "Prince Laurent!" Jabari steadied the man, concern evident in his voice.

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  Laurent raised a hand to his ear, wincing. "Ha, the damn thing screams in my head. Like a thousand voices at once?" Despite his obvious pain, his lips curved into a sardonic smile. "Funny how they never mention the side effects in the data. 'All-powerful artifact, may cause splitting headache and existential dread. Use only as directed.'"

  The Prince straightened, though Jabari could see the effort it took. "Keep moving. The effect is…temporary. They'll reorganize soon."

  "Sir," Jabari looked down at the shard in his hand, still glowing faintly. "I should hold onto this for now. I'm not psionic, it can't affect me the same way."

  Laurent fixed him with a calculating stare, then nodded once. "Smart thinking. Just don't try use it yourself. Unless you fancy your brain being liquidized and poured out your ears."

  "No sir, I prefer my brain where it is," Jabari replied, securing the shard in his own utility pouch. The crystal felt warm against his thigh, even through the fabric—not unpleasantly so, but noticeable.

  They advanced, the air growing denser. Laurent paused before a particularly ornate section where the architecture converged into a tangled nexus of styles.

  The wall before them undulated — a Bone Fiend lunged towards Jabari with bared fangs. Without hesitation, Jabari raised his rifle and fired, the burst rounds tearing through the creature with clinical precision. It fell, a heap of twitching limbs and ichor that steamed upon contact with the plasma.

  "Good. You're capable outside of a mech," commented Laurent, his gaze never straying from the path. "Some Scarab Riders these days can't even wield a handgun."

  "I remember my training well," Jabari nodded, his resolve steeling as they ventured further into the abyss.

  "But your connection to that android is unusual," Laurent observed quietly as they walked. He still occasionally winced, the aftereffects of the shard's use evident in his demeanor.

  "Ume is more than just an android," Jabari replied, glancing at her as she walked a few paces ahead, examining the walls with scientific curiosity.

  "Perhaps," Laurent conceded. "But attachment is a liability in our line of work. Remember that when the time comes to make hard choices."

  Jabari chose not to respond, the weight of the crystal in his pocket suddenly heavier.

  They rounded a twisted pillar that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. A vast pool stood before them, thick green liquid churning gently, an ominous glow emanating from within. Eggs — round and disturbingly translucent — floated atop the surface, bobbing as if dancing to an unheard tune.

  "Behold, the Genesis Pond," Laurent announced, his voice reverberating off the walls. He stepped closer, observing the pool with an almost reverent gaze. "This is where most modern Radi-Mons are born. The Hundkyndas bring their eggs here and let them soak in processed Helionite for nourishment. It is a common feature among Fenris hive clusters."

  "Never heard of the 'Hundkyndas'," Jabari muttered, his attention drawn to the eggs' slow undulation.

  "Female humans exposed to the Nucleus Virus and impregnated by male Radi-Mons," Laurent revealed with a snort. "Most are not willing, so we made the decision to keep such info from the public."

  "That…the people should know! Perhaps then they'd see how much threat the Radi-Mons pose to us humans," Jabari held back a gasp.

  "The Directorate keeps such information hidden for good reasons." Laurent's tone was as casual as his stride. "Imagine fresh recruits knowing they could be pitted against such things. No one in their right minds would join the DSC, then."

  Unlike the sterile fusion facilities of human civilization, here raw Helionite was processed directly through biological means. The thick green liquid churned with purpose, its molecular structure being broken down and reformed by the very tissue of the chamber itself.

  Lining the walls, masses of crystalline growths pulsed with familiar blue-white light - living Zephyrium processors that had grown organically within the Radi-Mon hive structure. Where humans required complex machinery and radiation shielding, the Fenris Horde had evolved to integrate fusion processing into their very biology.

  "See those tendrils?" Laurent gestured to writhing organic tubes that connected the pond to the walls. "Radi-Mons process fusion minerals through their own flesh. What we consider inedible, they consume as sustenance." He pointed to where a crystalline growth was actively forming, its facets catching the sickly light. "They don't just mine Zephyrium - they digest it. Their entire hive is one massive, living fusion reactor."

  Jabari watched in horrified fascination as a globule of Helionite was absorbed directly into the chamber's wall, the biological matter pulsing as it processed the radioactive waste. No containment chambers, no safety protocols - just raw, primal efficiency that made human fusion technology look primitive by comparison.

  "Still, we should destroy the eggs," Jabari replied as he snapped back to reality, now eyeing the eggs warily. "These look ready to burst right open."

  Laurent chuckled and raised a hand. "Save your ammo, Lieutenant. These eggs are psychically connected to their mother. A Hundkynda who lives here. We don't want to alert her to our presence...yet."

  "Sir," A young Ologun marine chimed in from behind. "The Radi-Mons have only just attacked an hour ago. To already have a Pond here…"

  "That's how fast the Fenris builds. And why their minions are so numerous." Laurent's sigh was audible. "I suspect they've found Ysolde and freed her. Fun times incoming."

  "We have enough firepower. Just keep your cool." Jabari tried to bolster the morale as he looked to the Ologun.

  "Aye, aye." The soldier responded stiffly as continued walking.

  Jabari watched as the golden rings on Laurent's hand glinted in the pale light. The glow intensified briefly before dimming, a subtle display of psionic power.

  "How's your head?" Jabari asked quietly, noticing Laurent's faint grimace.

  "Like someone's playing a drum solo inside my skull," Laurent admitted with a sardonic smile. "Makes me wonder if maybe your Sand Lotus friends had a point about not using the Crystal. Though I'd rather die than admit that to their faces."

  "They're not my friends," Jabari corrected quickly.

  "No?" Laurent's eyebrow arched. "That Imperial Rishi seemed quite taken with you. Fuuka, was it?"

  Jabari felt heat rise to his cheeks but kept his expression neutral. "What do we do now? We found some Radi-Mon eggs, but still no sign of Ysolde," he said, changing the subject.

  Ume spoke up, holding her Plasma Handgun tightly. "The layout of the Sepulcher appears quite complex. Perhaps the infestation has altered its structural integrity?"

  "It does seem to have changed since my last visit," Laurent stroke his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the forked pathway ahead of them. "We will have better luck if we split up. Why don't you two search the tunnel on the left while the Ologuns and I take the right?"

  "Agreed," Jabari said, feeling the weight of the Moondust Crystal's shard in his chest pocket. "Let's move before these eggs decide to hatch."

  "Good luck. Stay on the voice channel," Laurent led the way, his extravagant chains jingling softly as they descended further, going separate ways.

  The left tunnel seemed to constrict around them as Jabari and Ume ventured deeper. The organic matter grew thicker here, forcing them to push through curtains of fibrous tissue that clung to their armor with unsettling persistence.

  "I've been analyzing the Crystal fragment's energy signature," Ume said softly as they walked. "It appears to operate on frequencies similar to those used in QEC technology, but far more advanced."

  "Is that why it affected Laurent so strongly?" Jabari asked, ducking beneath a low-hanging tendril.

  "Possibly. The fragment seems designed to interface directly with psionic neural pathways." Ume paused, her head tilting in that characteristic way that indicated she was processing complex information. "I believe it's attempting to establish a connection with something—or perhaps, multiple somethings—across vast distances."

  "Maybe such things were never meant for humans, huh?" Jabari murmured, remembering Thorin's words.